SART Fertility Experts

We hope you have enjoyed listening to our second season. More episodes of SART Fertility Experts are planned for the future so stay tuned!

“I know what treatment I want and need to do, but how can I afford it?”  This is a common question infertility patients often ask themselves on the path to parenthood.  Due to the expense of treatment, managing cost is a key factor for patients. In this episode, Dr. Brooke Rossi interviews Brad Senstra, an executive director of a large infertility program, about financial topics, such as cost of infertility treatment and IVF, insurance coverage, financing, and other options.

In today's episode, Dr. Mark Trolice interviews Sean Tipton, ASRM's Chief Advocacy and Policy Officer about the current landscape of infertility insurance coverage, the hurdles to obtain state and/or national mandated coverage, and methods of advocacy for both patients and doctors to improve coverage.

Dr. Sangita Jindal, Associate Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Laboratory Director at Montefiore’s Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Health helps patients understand the importance of the IVF lab when choosing an IVF program.  She also explains the rigorous training of embryologists, laboratory safety, as well as identification and cryo-storage of eggs, sperm and embryos in the lab.  From eggs to embryos, the lab’s essential role in the IVF process is explained here.

Infertility nurse practitioner and health coach Monica Moore explains the essential role of the infertility nurse in the IVF process. Topics include learning how to give injections but also the importance of a healthy lifestyle and self-care during the IVF process. She also offers strategies for managing stress, effective communication with your care team and managing expectations during the IVF process.

Genetics is a significant part of advanced reproductive technology screening. Genetic counselors serve an essential role in the process.  In this episode, Jenna Miller, a board-certified and licensed genetic counselor, and Dr. Cristin Slater, explain what preconceptual genetic carrier screening is and discuss preconception genetic testing (PGT) of embryos. Genomic testing indications, pros & cons, implications, and results, are also reviewed.

In this episode, Dr. Daniel Grow interviews Dr. Mark Leondires, the founder and medical director of both the Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut and of Gay Parents To Be. Dr. Leondires is board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and serves as Chair of the ASRM’s LGBTQ Special Interest Group. He has worked with thousands of LGBTQ couples over the last 20+ years, and takes pride in leading his program to deliver compassionate and high quality care to all members of this community.

Does stress cause infertility or is it the other way round?  The emotional impacts of IVF treatment are featured in this episode with Dr. Julia Woodward, interviewed by Dr. Vickie Schafer.  We discuss how common depression and anxiety are among fertility patients, the factors that drive patients to minimize their struggles to the fertility team, common time points for stress to spike, the lack of evidence for stress as a cause of infertility, and five key coping strategies patients can use to combat stres

Due to the unique stress of infertility, patients often look for additional resources and support. In this episode Barbara Collura, the Executive Director of RESOLVE, the oldest support organization for people dealing with infertility, is interviewed by Dr. Bill Petok, a psychologist who works with individuals and couples building their families through assisted reproductive technologies. Ms. Collura talks about the work of RESOLVE, both in terms of support networks and advocacy.

Welcome to the second season of SART Fertility Experts. This series will feature a variety of dedicated professionals who make IVF and infertility treatment possible, provide invaluable counseling and education to our patients, and advocate to make treatment accessible to all. Check back in two weeks for the first episode.